The Perfect Engine for the Spitfire | Inside The Spitfire Factory | Machina

[@mikewilliams6086]

More important to hear from the heroes like Keith. Just listening to him talk really shows what an incredible man he was! Thankyou for this documentary.

[@kathrynleaser5093]

Fantastic video.! I use to fly small aircraft in Southern California. That is were I saw my first WWII planes the P51 Mustang the Spitfire and the F4u Corsair. My flight center was owned by some Japanese busnessemen that ran a flight training operation in Ramona. One day was especially wonderful for me. Chuck Hall of Chuck Hall Aviation was doing a run up of his newly restored F4u Corsair. The flight center was going to be training retired Japanese commercial pilots to become instructors. The men were touring the flight center with them was a much older Japanese man with this group of newly retired pilots When the F4u taxied out onto the tarmac this older man walked out and stood about 40 feet directly in front of the F4u and bowed to it as the huge propellers were brought up to speed during the test run up. I had just completed preflighting my Piper and was watching this transpire. Few minutes later one of the pilots walked over and asked my instructor if we could take this older man up with us. I said sure why not. So off we went. This fella spoke no English. So I gave him a chart pointed out our flight plan so he could follow along . Later after we landed I found out that he was a WWII Zero pilot. I was told He was bowing to the F4u Corsair out of respect to the plane he said they called whistling death. It was an amazing day I'll never forget. After we landed He smiled at me and said something in Japanese to one of the pilots waiting for him . He said he was amazed that when he learned I was only a student pilot. He thought I'd been flying for years.Pretty cool coming from a man that was still alive after flying death mission. That was a once in a life time experience. I flew a man that knew no fear other than the sound whistling death.

[@ianlangley987]

Being a qualified machinist I find it hard to believe that all the components that go into an engine with fine tolerances could be made in time to keep these aircraft in the air and some only for a very short time. The pilots were very special people with huge courage all to give us freedom. I admire you all. Ian

[@stevewilke8524]

Packard manufactured a great number of the Rolls-Royce Merlins under contract, but they had to re-draw each and every Rolls-Royce drawing to tighten up tolerances, as they didn't want to have to hand-cut everything.

[@thegeforce6625]

@@stevewilke8524don’t you mean loosen up tolerances? (Or am I having a brain fart…)

[@stevewilke8524]

@@thegeforce6625 No, tighten tolerances. Rolls-Royce had tolerances in their drawings that would require a lot of hand fitting by skilled machinists in order to make everything fit correctly. Packard didn't want that kind of hand-fitting on their engines; no time for that.

[@Cruiser777]

Amen

[@datadavis]

I bet they didnt take 1-2 weeks to bend and braze one tiny pipe back then either.

[@tomclayton6875]

Man, I can't even imagine what these guys lived through (and died). Anyone who knows this and disrespects what they fought for should have their heads examined. Absolutely the finest generation ever.

[@richardbullen6515]

The dubbed music is switched on when the engine is on the testbed when what you want to hear is the engine itself. The engine is the heart of the aircraft so thats what you want to hear!

[@jadams3427]

'Was a bit confusing when it was said Tirpitz was seen in Trondheim in 1942. After an attack it got moved 'further south', 'within range of Lancasters'. Op. Goodwood attacked Tirpitz in 1944 in Kaafjord, way up north near Alta. Tirpitz was moved south, probably for repairs in Tromsö. That was in range of RAF Lancasters, and they managed to destroy Tirpitz there. Both Alta and Tromsö are way further north than Trondheim.

[@markloubser2433]

Why play stupid music when the engine is running?

[@chuckheahfort1399]

Soy boys mostly. Testosterone men expect to hear the mechanical brilliance. 👊🇺🇸🧂

[@tomclayton6875]

Jay Leno's Garage has a video of his Merlin on a test stand. No music. The engine ended up in a Rolls Royce style mega car. Worth looking up.

[@AA-nt5qw]

My thoughts exactly

[@davidthomson692]

Because the idiot that made the video has NO emotional connection to the spitfire or the people who lived in the era

[@magilla8026]

Nonce producers do nonce things

[@edwardpate6128]

Interesting bit on the Seafire. However I'd say it was still at heart a land based aircraft with bits added to allow it to operate from a carrier. Most FAA pilots as the war progressed flew US Navy carrier fighters like the Wildcat, Hellcat and the Corsair.

[@mikef.1000]

The thing that gets me is that, with all these people and experts and resources, it takes AGES... years! to get a Spitfire up and running. Compare that to the situation in WW2, where these things were produced, maintained, and repaired (when need be) in a matter of WEEKS. That's not a criticism, mind you... more praise for the people who, in the pressure and life-and-death struggle of wartime, achieved all this.

[@roberts1938]

Great movie. Many very interesting and completely unknown stories, about English pilots over Japan, about air reconnaissance, about technical issues, and about Beatrice (Tilly) Shilling. I would like to thank the creators and employees, thanks to their passion we can learn about history, technical monuments and interesting people.

[@para1324]

I have full respect for all those men and women who served in WWII on all front’s. Seeing now this work being carried on is fantastic. I admire all who are involved. Best wishes sent for continued successes. 🇬🇧🤝🇺🇸

[@jeffreywebb4029]

As an American I loved this! So important to save these planes and to talk to the pilots/hero's that helped save the world. Sadly our history is demonized and forgotten on purpose to demoralize our countries. Thank you for putting this together. I have a feeling that Britain and the USA will have to come together again to save the world. God bless England and USA.

[@chrisnewman7281]

RIP Keith Quilter 1921 - 2023

[@topturretgunner]

Blue skies and tailwinds Airman! 🫡🇨🇰

[@williambrandt9254]

Thank you for a very entertaining and informing video. I would agree with the above comment that when that Merlin is singing why play music? But that aside I thought it's weakness with the carburetor was with the life of the Spitfire and that was the strength of the Daimler-Benz engine. I knew nothing of Tilly and Tillys orifice - what a hoot Wouldn't think that a simple washer would cure that fuel starvation problem And I can understand the frustration of that old navy veteran-I didn't even know there was a British carrier at Japan I am often amazed at what those reconnaissance pilots did and I believe all the reconnaissance spitfires were painted blue Always wondered what would prevent fighters from intercepting them but I guess at 40,000 feet by the time they got there they would be gone I have this rare book of color photographs of World War II in the European theater with aviation. I did not realize that even the army Air Force had a few spitfire squadrons Our famous pilot, Bob Hoover, actually flew a Spitfire in World War II Thanks again and I learned a lot in the last hour Oh on operating cost. I remember back in the 80s I asked the owner of a P 51 mustang what it cost to run "60 gallons an hour if you're easy on the throttle and keep the supercharger off". 600 hour TBO - time between overhaul - again if you are easy on the supercharger. $225,000 to overhaul the engine at 600 hours. And that's back in the 1980s I've often thought if you could buy that mythical Mustang or Spitfire back in the 50s for a few thousand dollars would you do so knowing the operating cost? I don't think I would. It would be like buying a big boat

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

I'm still amazed that back in the 30s and 40s, these engines were produce by the thousands, but today it's a huge undertaking to get just one of them up and running.

[@krzysztofwaleska]

These were hudge factories with templates and special made tools. Serial production in the meaning of fabricating Ford model T. Now it is not even manufacture. It is hobbyst work without all of that.

[@stephencurry8552]

We know about you know Keith, and the men you served with. That is something indeed. Cheers from the United States.

[@rOEN911]

its awesome to see in person in Greece ,i was lucky to be there when it arrived and also to see it already in few events

[@robertgutheridge9672]

Ryan and everyone involved excellent work.. I'm sure her crews are all pleased with the work you do.

[@patrickyoung3503]

A privilege for me to see the restoration of the Spitfire & to hear it's engine running . I was born in 1937 & living in Ireland . The family had uncles & cousins in the forces of the crown . One uncle came home without a scratch , another never came ho. E , lost in the Indian ocean on his submarine . I thank my lucky star's that I avoided ha ing to go to war . War is hell . Honour & Respect . Lest we forget .

[@HeineSørensen-f6j]

Turn off the infernal music when you test drive the engine. That's the engine we want to hear!

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

Is there any doubt, this was truly the greatest generation?

[@31terikennedy]

What really helped the Spitfire was introduction of the American made Bendix_ Stromberg pressurized carburetor.

[@philc4520]

Video is sick. Massive respect to all involved.

[@storetapir]

The operation to sink the Tirpitz was not Goodwood, it was Operation Tungsten.

[@stringpicker5468]

Testing a Merlin and you have music over the top of it? Why?

[@UmaticSota]

I think most of the audience for this type of program would rather listen to the sound of a Merlin engine that your choice of music.

[@keithad6485]

Was looking at a Rolls Royce side valve straight six Silver Ghost engine a while ago, I realised I was looking at the great grandaddy of the Merlin, from this engine, the V12 aero engine was created in WW1 and used in such aircraft as the Handley Page O/400 'Parylizer' bomber and from there, a steady evolution to the Vulture engine then the Merlin and Griffon engines. If I have some details wrong, please forgive my memory.

[@Lawrence1203-f7s]

Awesome tecnitions working on an awesome aircraft. thank you Keith Quilta thank you for your service.

[@bennyrobles9194]

“ Never, was so much owed ,by so many, to so few”

[@kevinconnors4640]

Well,it should be noted, There is not 1 Engine that's responsible for winning WWII,it took a combination of All The Equipment, All of the Combined Military Personal, to Win the WAR.

[@Bugdriver49]

You're correct no "single" engine, plane or person is wholly responsible for winning WWII.......but when looking at which one had more impact than any other....IMO it would be the Rolls Royce Merlin... The P-51 was born with the Allison V12....almost the same size as a Merlin but using a turbo charger it did not have the same performance at altitude (where most dogfights took place) as the merlin using a supercharger.....at altitude the Merlin produced more power. If not for the Merlin engine, the Mustang's role in WWII would have been mainly ground attack. The Merlin not only allowed the Mustang to perform at altitude.....the greater power meant carrying more fuel and the ability to now escort our bombers all the way to target and back. Make no mistake, the P-51 was a remarkable aircraft....but the Merlin is what MADE the P-51 historic!!!

[@RANDALLBRIGGS]

@@Bugdriver49 Not quite. The early P-51's Allison engine did not have a turbo-supercharger. Thanks to shortsighted bomber-mafia USAAC staff, mechanical supercharging sufficient for high-altitude performance had not been encouraged. So the Allison, with only a single-stage mechanical supercharger, started losing performance above 12,000 feet. The P-38 had the same engine, but it also had turbo-supercharging, so it could perform well at high altitudes. The Merlin had better mechanical supercharging than the Allison, and that is why the Merlin-engine Mustang was such a winner. Theoretically, the Mustang could have been powered by a turbocharged Allison, but the turbocharger would have taken up room and added weight. The only two mass-produced turbocharged American fighters were the P-38, which had room for the turbochargers atop the twin booms, and the P-47, powered by the R-2800 twin-row radial engine, which had a huge fuselage for the turbocharger and all its associated ducting.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

Keith and the other old blokes still around I suspect are pump them for the info. Keith seemed very switched on. The women studying recon photos were also unsung heroes, as were those pilots who flew those missions. Hindsight tells us they wasted a LOT of bombs on the Tirpitz, it was in effect out of service in 42. The convoys to Russia were also rightly scared of it. But it never came out. They put smoke up the funnels and everyone was scared

[@thomassmartin9728]

I love how the director / owner uses the word "we" when he hasn't so much as picked up a wrench!!!!!

[@Rocketman88002]

Anytime a group of engineers, techs, tradesmen and dreamers get together, good things are bound to happen.

[@brealistic3542]

I thought the Me-109 engine supports looked a bit sketchy but they look like they were built like the Brooklyn Bridge compared to the Spitfire supports Holy Crap!

[@joseph78e4n6]

Awesome ⚡️ Aircraft Technology and Design.. the BOLTS on the Engine mounts should be the Hardened Grade ....

[@philipbrailey]

R J would be proud.

[@bubba3667]

grace and gallantry

[@bennyrobles9194]

Thats a beautiful Super Marine war bird.!

[@Manufly59]

So sad that you dont explain how this Miss Shillings orifice works in carburettor. Instead of that you tell how it feels to be Shillings god daughter.

[@jackkelly335]

No two R. R. produced engines were the same. The English didn't do standardised tolerances, limits & fits very well.

[@johnbowen2963]

BLOOODY GOOD SHOW, PLAYING MUSIC OVER THE ENGINE RUNNING, FFS

[@06colkurtz]

The DC10 has three bolts. It’s materials science

[@stephengrimmer35]

DC10 engines fall off, flight AA191.

[@mrrolandlawrence]

6:35 never a truer word said!

[@in4merATP]

If it's at idle, it can never be too lean.

[@davidi4306]

Just to think the British could have had fuel injection at the beginning of the war but one man blocked it's development. A book worth reading is "The Secret Horsepower Race" by Calum E. Douglas. It gives all the details of the development of the Merlin and why various marks of Spitfire came to be largely due to engine development.

[@tombache3426]

I suppose salvage planes are what make this possible. Like old cars you might need 3 derilects to make one good one.

[@damianbrennan2258]

When I was a boy I rember sitting in a RAAF sea fire in nottinghill Australia

[@SkipGetelman]

Amazing men

[@jonathanchalk2507]

More please 🙏

[@tobyw9573]

What about the gyroscopic forces from the engine and propeller with changes in attitude?

[@donmr8]

Who was the jackass that thought anyone would want to listen to some stupid music at the precise time when you fire up that lovely motor?!?!?

[@Corsairforu]

Anybody catch the famous voice starting the Navy Documentary Narration at 37:08?

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

What can be more British than declaring tea break after lowering the merlin into a spitfire

[@danielhylton4675]

I know now brave sir......ty

[@VintageEngineRepairs]

One of the most beautiful sounding engines ever created and the producers put cheesy stupid music over it… 🤦‍♂️

[@malcolmkempster7858]

In fact it was the hurricane that won the battle of Britain

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

What's the basic difference between the Merlin and the Griffin? And how rare are the Griffins?

[@David-if9vi]

Why play horrible music when the engine is running.

[@Nobilangelo]

18:59 What! No victory roll? 🤣

[@BaronFlyingClub]

Seems to me the seafire was quickly replaced.

[@jirkarutar1052]

❤❤❤❤❤❤Georg from Europe Prag

[@horatioyachapovich6919]

Who made the two stage supercharger?

[@jackkelly335]

... therefore each R.R. built engine was bespoke and parts from onother wouldn't necessarily fit, unlike Packard built engines from tbe USA

[@BaronFlyingClub]

23.15 that is not a sea fire it is an F4U

[@rcrotorfreak]

Where the part 2?

[@MichaelWisner-h7f]

When the Packard automobile company received the license to build the RR Merlin engine they developed hundreds of improvements of the engine , Packard built the most accurate measuring tools that existed in all the world at that time, The Merlin engine was far and away, many fold superior to the GM built V-12 aircraft engine !

[@RANDALLBRIGGS]

The GM Allison V-1710 engine was a good design with an insufficient supercharger. The pre-war USAAC had discouraged the development of 2-stage superchargers that would enable high performance at high altitude. That problem was being fixed by the end of the war. The XP-51J was Allison-powered and the postwar P-82E, F, G and H-model Twin Mustang were Allison-powered.

[@robertdeen8741]

So is it all still BSW? Just wondering.

[@LSC2001]

500 hours between overhaul? Wow that’s very inefficient given how much these planes flew.

[@kevinjohnson386]

The same thing about this video is that these guys never talk about the Packard engines. Once the United States got their hands on the Merlin engine, there could be that it would take so long to turn out an engine. The United States engineers improved the method to build the engine. It's too bad that the British could not see a much better way and a faster way, too build build the engine. Even barring this we won the war@

[@RANDALLBRIGGS]

It wasn't a matter of British engineers not seeing a better, faster way to mass-produce the Merlin. It was a matter of British industrial technology in the 1930s not being geared up for mass-production. Nevertheless, the British got all the Merlins they needed between greatly increasing their own production and using some Packard production. Spitfire Mk XVIs were basically Mk IXs, but were powered by Packard-Merlin engines. The Avro Lancaster Mk IIIs were the same as Mk Is, but were powered by Packard-Merlins. The Lancaster "Dam-busters" were modified Mk IIIs. The Hawker Hurricane Mk XIIs were powered by Packard-Merlins.

[@stephengrimmer35]

Nice to see Peter drives a car powered by a Messerschmitt engine😂.

[@kevinconnors4640]

Another Note: There's not 1 thing responsible for winning the War,it took a collective combination of everything,miss 1 thing and the War result could've been different,Thank God We had what was necessary,God,Truth,Love,all was needed,AMEN.

[@giancarlomaster2535]

Deberian los tornillos 🔩 ponerle cemento sintético por altura los tornillos 🔩 se abren

[@8bitfrenzy376]

Fiddly bits

[@keithad6485]

Merlin was a great engine but not perfect; with fuel injection, then yes, probably a perfect engine. Imagine the Merlin with electronic fuel injection and modern engine management computers! - greater range, smoother fuel delivery.

[@donziperk]

It needs an LS swap.

[@shootingsportstransparency7461]

❤❤❤❤

[@flypawels]

👍

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

It's a shame that at the time, these magnificent machines weren't stashed away by the thousands. But then again I say the same thing about the Harley Davidson motorcycle from the war, Jeeps, M-4 Sherman's and the P-51 Mustang. Oh don't forget a P-38 or 2. So I guess I need a huge climate controlled building?

[@topturretgunner]

In my opinion the Spitfire was an elegant machine with beautiful lines it didn’t have the range or speed of it’s American contemporary the P-51 Mustang and were it not for the ‘marriage’ of the great Merlin engine with the wonderful North American airframe we might never have had the P-51. Especially with all the ABYSMAL STUPIDITY and STUBBORNNESS that we Americans originally approached turbo/supercharging with. The American Allison V 12 was a good engine in it’s own right but they could never quite seem to get all the bugs worked out with the turbocharged Allison’s used in the P-38 Lightning as they remained prone to over boosting and burning piston’s. In my opinion though regarding the earlier Spitfires and Hurricanes for that matter I’ll never understand British obsession with the use of RIFLE CALIBER 303 machine guns which at best were anemic against another aircraft hence jamming up to 8 guns 4 per wing in some Spitfires. I remain convinced that pilots were done a disservice being sent into battle with rifle caliber machine guns. The 12.7 /50 caliber Browning M2 or the 20mm cannon being much better for the purpose.

[@charleswesley9907]

Its a very limited range airplane and useless for escort. The P47 and P51 had so much more range that the Spitfire and was faster.

[@johnmarkgatti3324]

there is some very detailed info on the merlins in some vids from the USA museum of power boats , they cranked them up a few thousand horses before they switched to turbines . I didn't know they had a shaft drive for the cams , and that two stage turbo set up ,nice , how they could get up to 40 000 ft back in the 30s ,could anything else get up there ?. [ Really sad Britain is being invaded again !, by nazi throw backs ,and islam which is a blood brother ideology . will all this work and heritage be around much longer .]

[@ThomasBrock74]

There is no excuse for someone taking 17 months to rebuild 1 motor. Thats absolutely a rediculous amount of time.

[@havennewbowtow8835]

Driving a BMW, how ironic.

[@Lucas-zk7px]

A Volkswagen would be better

[@mmm43kir]

в россионии ИЛ-2 достают из болот, реставрируют и на запад продают, зачем им история ?

[@danilorainone406]

thumbnail boys sp[itfires' just S in plural

[@stephengrimmer35]

It is the possessive, not the plural, "the Spitfire, its engine". If it was several aircraft it would be the Spitfires' engines.

[@David-if2jz]

stop the stupid music so we can hear the engine

[@georgegeorgakopoulos5956]

Poor greek taxpayers....

[@mopartshemi]

Such bullshit as dumb music is playing over the merlin startup shame on the producer

[@antoncarmoducchi6057]

Pretty and sound fantastic, but overrated as a war machine.

[@stephennmullins3989]

2024May23: .-

[@NFlight]

Hmmm. The ME109 could defeat the Spit by using a climbing right turn. The Spit pilot will try his hardest to get the nose up and then... BOOP! Stall. The ME109 reverses with rudder and is directly behind the Spit. Game over.

[@wesleyallen1173]

And yet you are watching a video about a british spitfire, in english, not a video, about ME109's in german. Game Over.

[@NFlight]

@@wesleyallen1173 Not sure what you just said. My grandpa will confirm.

[@RANDALLBRIGGS]

Doubt it was that simple. I've read more than a bit on the BoB and the Luftwaffe in general, and what I've repeatedly found was that the 109 pilot would push the nose down and dive away because the Spitfire's Merlin would briefly cut out under negative G. There's no mechanical reason I know of for a Bf109 to be superior to a Spitfire in a climbing right-hand turn. Could you explain how/why that would have worked? If it did work that way, then would that mean that the Spitfire would be superior in a climbing left-hand turn, and could pull the same trick on a pursuing Messerschmitt?

[@NFlight]

@@RANDALLBRIGGS It really was that simple, and very well documented. Climbing left doesn't work. P-Factor differences due to rotation.

[@anonymusum]

A typical British vid.

[@alanprice3065]

The only way to find out the truth is a neutral country air accident I investigation investigate this crash… until then who knows?

[@damianbrennan2258]

Spying on your workers I wouldn't work for u

[@davidpapadopoulos2524]

He probably wouldn’t want to employ someone worried about being watched, says more about your work ethic than his morals 😂

[@stephenrocks7004]

Typical British videos more about the people than the airplane they do love themselves

[@rival9417]

That they do..spend so much time reliving the past and how great they were they ignore the present state their foreigner infested country is in...they weren't that great in the past either,,good at taking the glory for other countries participation in conflicts though..according to them they could have won World War 2 unaided...

[@bricktopperheadon5490]

@@rival9417Bullshite.

[@topturretgunner]

In my opinion the Spitfire was an elegant machine with beautiful lines it didn’t have the range or speed of it’s American contemporary the P-51 Mustang and were it not for the ‘marriage’ of the great Merlin engine with the wonderful North American airframe we might never have had the P-51. Especially with all the ABYSMAL STUPIDITY and STUBBORNNESS that we Americans originally approached turbo/supercharging with. The American Allison V 12 was a good engine in it’s own right but they could never quite seem to get all the bugs worked out with the turbocharged Allison’s used in the P-38 Lightning as they remained prone to over boosting and burning piston’s.

[@kobusdutoitbosman6240]

Most informative and thrilling video, historically very significant • thank you kindly wonderful work you and your restoration Teams are doing Project of sterling value Applauded…🥂👊🔥 🪖 (ex the Fairest Cape Winelands)